A Taste Of Death

  ( Newbie )

  Newbie gazed into icy eyes, and icy eyes gazed back. She watched rime form upon lashes and frost creep across flesh. Lungs crackled with every bitter breath. Crystallising blood clawed at the chambers of her heart.

  Something's not right!

  Power, as haunting as it was terrible, seized her. This time it wasn't just stirring in slumber. This time it was wide awake. This time it was hungry.

  Oblivious to the panic, Merrymint cheered, though her voice fell quieter as ears numbed. Newbie tried to speak, but her tongue was solid. She felt her Mentor's hands clap upon desensitising shoulders, though they immediately froze in place. Merrymint jerked and struggled to free herself. Suddenly Newbie's reflection was growing, and rapidly.

  Sploosh!

  The warmth penetrated slowly, gradually caressing dulled nerves until it enveloped her wholly like an all-encompassing cuddle. It was just enough to tip the balance in her body's favour. Organs thawed and screamed for oxygen.

  Newbie kicked at the bottom of the channel and thrust her face through the surface. Lips gasped and gulped like a starved carp.

  "You good?" Merrymint had also fallen into the water.

  "I'm sorry!" cried Newbie, splashing and flailing.

  Merrymint snatched her top hat before it could float away, then hauled herself out. "It's fine! As long as you're ok." She reached from the bank, offering a hand.

  Newbie flexed her trembling fingers to make certain they were no longer glacial before accepting. The fright had turned her muscles to jelly, so she was grateful for the help.

  She crawled across chocolate slabs on all fours whilst regaining her breath. The thick layers of her wintry outfit were thoroughly sodden. "Ok," she whimpered. "Now I'm ready to call it quits."

  Feet squidged within soggy shoes as the pair entered the palace and headed for the closest brazier. It loosed an elemental roar as Merrymint fed it kindling. They extended their arms around the metal frame, as if giving it an indirect hug.

  "I think we can call that a success! Awesome work!" said Merrymint, her chipper voice at odds with her drenched state.

  Newbie nodded glumly. "But I totally froze up..."

  "Well, look on the bright side!" said Merrymint. "You don't have any ice burns or blisters, right? So you must be partially resistant to cold, just not entirely immune."

  Burning wood cracked. Glowing sparks surged within the cage.

  "It wasn't just cold," said Newbie.

  "Ok, sure. Super cold," said Merrymint.

  "That's not what I meant. It felt wrong. Dangerous."

  Merrymint tilted her head, almost losing her hat in the process. "Well, golly. You've seen what magic can do. It's not not dangerous, but that's kind of the point, right? If we're gonna fight to keep people safe, then we'll need dangerous things on our side. Maybe it'd help if you thought of magic like a sword? It's sensible to be wary of such a sharp thing the first few times you swing it!"

  It felt more like a scythe than a sword. One with a deathly will of its own...

  Doubts aside, the last thing Newbie wanted was to quash her Mentor's celebratory mood with grim musing. She forced a smile.

  I guess it could be worse. I'll bet Cutiehorn and Puddingpuff would be more than happy to trade for ice magic if they could.

  "You're probably right," she said. "Losing control is just a little scary."

  "That's why you've got me, Newb'! Stick by my side and I'll keep you in check." Merrymint flicked her spectacles playfully.

  Newbie smiled again, this time genuinely. "Thank you, Merrymint."

  "No worries. Hey, you think you'll need to check your reflection every time you use your magic? Not that it's a problem or anything."

  Newbie put a hand to her stomach. Back in the Nursery she'd felt the slightest wisp of power, like light escaping a keyhole. Now the chill continued to linger. It hadn't just been unlocked. It'd been uncaged for good. "No. It just helped me focus. Helped me believe. I know exactly where to find it now..."

  For a moment they huddled in silence broken only by pops and sizzles. That was until panicked realisation struck. Newbie checked her pocket. To her relief, the glowing vial remained undamaged.

  Merrymint snapped her fingers. "Gosh, I almost forgot. We need to ask Queeny about getting you some faefire!"

  "I was worried I might've broken it," said Newbie.

  "Nah, you'd have to do something pretty crazy to smash it by accident. Those bottles are real strong, supposedly."

  Newbie watched the fuchsia butterfly flutter within its prison. "What happens if one does break?"

  Merrymint cupped her chin. "Know what? Never seen it happen. You're supposed to push down on the cap first. It's designed to crack the glass and make it ready for use."

  "Ready for use? So we don't just... wave it at the enemy? Or, I dunno, pour it?" asked Newbie.

  "No." Merrymint laughed. "You gotta throw it!"

  "Push the cap then throw. Got it." Newbie nodded. "...What happens if I miss?"

  "Well, I guess that's why we're supposed to carry two! Though it couldn't hurt to practice your aim if you're a bad shot. I mean, you wouldn't wanna get too close to ichor, right?"

  Newbie jumped as one of the charred logs collapsed in on itself, causing flames to flare. Embers spiralled up with a rush of hot air, before slowly drifting down again like searing snowflakes. Some even strayed from the brazier, landing as ash upon marble.

  Emerald eyes softened. "...You don't remember, do you?"

  "Not entirely," said Newbie. "But that's what this is all about, right? Training. Faefire. Us. It's to keep people safe from ichor. I'm just not all that certain what it is..."

  "Well, I'm no expert either. I know it's toxic... or corrosive? Heck, maybe volatile would be more accurate. I know it lurks below, down in hel. Sometimes it rises up and contaminates things. Changes them. Makes them worse. Much, much worse. Queeny has always dealt with it herself. Sometimes Splishy helps. They don't talk about it much, and we don't ask. I guess the rest of us aren't deemed ready. But..." Merrymint's expression soured. The fire's light cast quivering shadows across her features. "...The eruptions are becoming more frequent. When I first emerged they were super rare. Now they're almost weekly."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Newbie hated seeing her Mentor troubled. She clenched fists within damp gloves.

  I'll do better tomorrow.

  Newbie could've happily stayed by the brazier for the rest of the day, but alas, once dry, Merrymint insisted they seek audience with the Queen. So it was they headed to the carved doors of Titania's Study. This time there was no one standing guard. Three knocks later, they were beckoned inside.

  The room was as vast and fantastical as Newbie had come to expect. Natural light rained down from a crystal ceiling, beaming through the leafy tendrils that crept along its frames. Fragrant blooms clung to towering bookcases which hosted near endless volumes of recorded knowledge. From metallurgy to physiology, and from thaumatology to astronomy, there were more dusty tomes, ancient scrolls and faded parchments than one could read in an entire lifetime. A human lifetime, anyway.

  Butterflies roamed free, fluttering from petal to page to pane. Caterpillars crawled along vines and munched on dew-laden mosses. It was a living library that somehow exerted no deteriorating influence upon its materials.

  At the centre was an interior lawn which held a perfect circle of magenta mushrooms. Upon their bulbous heads were symbols of rounded shapes and smooth curves painted with flowing strokes.

  Finding the matriarch was easy. All they had to do was follow the toasty glow. Newbie could feel the air grow warmer with each step. Even under sunlight, Titania burned bright.

  I have to do my best for her. I have to keep her safe.

  "Queen Titania," said Merrymint.

  Newbie tried to mimic her Mentor's curtsy.

  "Lovely to see you, girls." Titania seemed far more restrained than when she'd rushed into the dining room the night prior. "How can I help?"

  "Faefire, Queen Titania," said Merrymint. "I've shared mine with Newbie, so right now we only have one each."

  Titania gave a slow nod, then turned to a large coffer of dark metal. A heavy lock held chains in place. "Of course. It is vital that you both remain safe." With a snap of her fingers, a fiery butterfly sparked to life and fluttered into the keyhole, causing the mechanism to click. "I trust your Mentor has informed you of the importance of faefire?"

  "Yes," said Newbie. "It is a precious resource to be thrown at ichor."

  The Queen donned a pair of gloves and unfurled the coffer's chains. The moment the groaning lid lifted, vibrant violet spilled out, tinting everything with its arcane hue. "Good. Merrymint is teaching you well." She retrieved two vials, placed them upon her desk and took a step back.

  The pair puffed with pride and claimed one each.

  "I wonder if you might be able to tell me of faefire's other use?" asked Titania.

  Newbie blinked. Her mind hadn't just gone blank, it felt utterly hollow.

  Am I supposed to know this? Have I forgotten something important already?

  "Faesteel!" Merrymint blurted out.

  "Correct. Relax, girls. I'm not expecting you to cover everything in a single day." Titania gave a reassuring and surprisingly human wink. "Iron is mined from the depths. It is anathema to us fairies. By smelting it within faefire, however, it can be purified into faesteel. An incorruptible and unbreakable alloy. The perfect weapon to wield against evil."

  "Like Splishy's trident!" said Merrymint.

  Huh. So that's what that colourful metal is.

  "Precisely." Titania nodded. "I only wish faefire were plentiful enough to forge each of you such a weapon..." She looked towards the ring of runed fungus and let out a weary sigh. "Unfortunately there is little surplus after supplying our sister queendoms."

  Sister queendoms, huh?

  "Do you have a faesteel weapon, Queen Titania?" asked Merrymint.

  The monarch closed the lid of the coffer. "I have no use for such a thing. Nothing in this world can stand against me. However, I cannot be everywhere at once, and that's why I need you girls."

  Newbie tried to imagine what it must be like to be indomitable. To fear no enemy. Her mind filled with scenes of the Fairy Queen purging shadow like a blazing beacon of hope.

  "You girls attempted to manifest magic this morning, correct?" asked Titania. "How did things go?"

  Newbie gulped. Merrymint had offered nothing but support, but she wanted to achieve more and faster. She wanted to prove herself worthy of royalty, not be dragged dripping and trembling from the water.

  "Oh it was incredible, Queen Titania!" said Merrymint. "Newbie was able to conjure up some cold! I'm super proud!"

  "But!" yelped Newbie. "We may have encountered a hurdle..."

  To her relief, Titania reacted not with disappointment, but a soothing smile. "That's nothing too unusual. One can encounter many difficulties in mastering their magic. Do tell."

  "Well, it freezes me up. Like, completely." Newbie's arms instinctively cradled her torso, as if to fend off any would-be chills. "Your magic also deals in extreme temperatures, right, Queen Titania? Did you suffer any similar issues at first?"

  The question was met with silence. Even the chains ceased to clink as the monarch paused.

  Uh oh. Did I say something wrong?

  "...My circumstances were quite different from your own." Titania finished locking the coffer, then removed her gloves and put quill to scroll. "But, there might be something we can do to help. I believe Dollymop may know of reactionary fabrics. Materials that warm as conditions cool. I imagine she'll be reluctant to part with such rare textiles for a freshly emerged Fairy Princess, so I'll grant you my full support." She slid the note across the desk.

  Merrymint peered over Newbie's shoulder so they could read it together. It instructed Dollymop to provide whatever aid possible, regardless of cost. As proof that it came from the monarch's hand it bore the image of a butterfly seared into the paper.

  "Brilliant!" said Merrymint. "Our best chance of finding Dollymop is at her workshop, right?"

  "A fair assumption. I believe she rarely leaves unless Mister Bear is partaking in training," said Titania. "Newbie, I would advise against using your magic during training until you have it under control. Today especially I'd recommend keeping well clear. Of course, that doesn't apply to you, Merrymint."

  "Oh, I don't know about that." Merrymint whistled innocently. "I mean, couldn't hurt for me to keep her safe for one more day, right?"

  "Come now. I'm sure Newbie would love to see her Mentor in action," said Titania.

  Merrymint's smile slightened in submission. "...Yes, of course, Queen Titania. It's just, y'know, with the waterways and all. Things usually get pretty... rough."

  "I will be watching," said Titania. "If things get out of hand I'll put a stop to it myself."

  The pair thanked the Fairy Queen and excused themselves from her floral chambers.

  Newbie thumbed the note as they left, but she was more curious about what awaited her sisters that evening than anything. "Soo... are you going to tell me what's up yet?"

  "Well..." Merrymint hesitated a second. "...I don't want to speak poorly of anyone, so, maybe it's best you watch and make up your own mind."

  Newbie feigned a playful frown and held onto it, even after Merrymint had finished laughing.

  "Hey-hey-hey! Enough! We're off to see the finest tailor in the queendom and you've got an all-expenses paid pass! Aren't you excited?"

  Newbie sucked her lips back into shape. "Well. Maybe a little... Where is Dollymop's workshop anyway?"

  Merrymint's grin spread wide. She hopped to a dramatic pose and thrust her stave high. "Rainbow City, baby!"